Portable desk



Fell 13, 1968 .1 MOTTER ETAL 3,368,858

PORTABLE DESK Filed March l, 1966 lNvx-:NmRs 4 I9 LOUIS L. MOT-TER, LOUIS C. MOTTER, KENNETH P. MOTTER 8. Y LARRY L. MOTTER l lo 20 \|8 WWMSIM ATTORNEYS United States Patent 3,368,858 PORTABLE DESK Louis L. Motter, Louis C. Motter, Kenneth P. Motter,

and Larry L. Motter, all of 1550 Ashland Road, Maustield, Ohio 44905 Filed Mar. 1, 1966, Ser. No. 530,920 3 Claims. (Cl. 312-250) ABSTRACT 0F THE DISCLOSURE A portable desk including a circular base having an upright hollow central boss, a tubular pedestal the lower end of which is detachably mounted in said boss, a hollow case having a relatively high front wall and relatively low rear wall and end walls with downwardly and rearwardly inclined top edges, a downwardly and rearwardly inclined writing table hingedly connected to the top of the -front wall and normally resting upon the top of the rear and end walls, angle irons upon the top of the bottom wall of the case dividing the interior thereof into shallow compartments. An attaching spider is detachably connected to the central portion of the bottom of the bottom wall and has a depending central journal pin adapted to be rotatably received in the upper end o-f the tubular pedestal, the parts being of such relative proportions that the base, pedestal and attaching spider may all be enclosed within the case for shipping and storage.

The invention relates to desks and particularly to a portable desk adapted to be quickly and easily moved from place to place while in use.

The invention comprises a portable desk having a rectangular case provided with a hinged table top, a spider detachably connected to the bottom of the case and having a depending journal pin, a circular base, a tubular pedestal having its lower end connected to the center of the base, and the journal pin being journalled in the upper end of the tubular pedestal.

With this construction the desk may be quickly and easily moved from place to place by tilting it from vertical position and rolling the circular base upon the oor while holding the rectangular case against rotation.

The several parts are of such relative sizes and shapes that the base, pedestal and attaching spider may all be disconnected from the case and from each other and enclosed entirely within the case for storage or shipping.

A primary object of the invention is to provide a desk which is swivelled or rotatably mounted upon a circular base, whereby it may be easily and quickly moved by tilting it from the vertical and rolling it upon the circular base, while holding the writing top against rotation.

Another object of the invention is to provide such a desk comprising a circular base, a pedestal extending upward from the base, and a table top or case with writing surface rotatably mounted upon the upper end of the pedestal.

A further object of the invention is to provide a portable desk of the character referred to in which the case has a hinged top providing the writing surface.

A still further object of the invention is to provide a portable desk of this type in which the pedestal is a piece of pipe, and in which a spider or the like is attached to the bottom of the case and has a depending journal pin attached thereto for rotatable insertion into the upper end of the tubular pedestal.

Another object of the invention is to provide such a desk in which the relative sizes of the several members is such that the base, pedestal and spider with pin may all be placed within the case for shipping or storage.

The above objects together with others which will be 3,368,858 Patented Feb. 13, 1968 apparent from the drawing and following description, or which may be later referred to, may be attained by constructing the improved portable desk in the manner hereinafter described in detail and illustrated in the accompanying drawing.

- In general terms, the invention may be briefly described as comprising four main parts, namely, a circular base, a tubular pedestal, a case with writing surface, and a spider with depending journal pin.

The circular base may be in the form of a metal casting having a at bottom and the top rounded or tapered from the center toward the lperiphery, so that the periphery is very narrow. The base has a central, upwardly disposed, hollow boss adapted to receive the lower end of the pedestal, which is attached thereto by a set screw. The pedestal is in the form of a length of pipe, the interior of the upper end of which is reamed out to rotatably receive the depending journal pin on the spider. This depending journal pin is in the form of a short piece of smaller diameter pipe.

The spider is in the form of a metal casting having a central tapped opening into which the upper end of said short piece of pipe is threaded and welded. Four legs are provided upon the spider having apertures near their ends to receive bolts for attaching the spider to the bottom of the case.

This case may be made of sheet metal and may be of a length slightly greater than the pipe pedestal. A rearwardly and downwardly inclined top, or writing table, is hingedly connected to the forward edge of the case, as by a piano hinge.

Two spaced partitions, of considerably less height than the side wall-s of the case, are attached to the upper surfaces ofthe bottom wall of the case, dividing the lower portion of the case into three shallow compartments for housing papers, blueprints, and the like.

The relative sizes of the several members are such that when the desk is in knocked-down or disassembled condition, the base, pedestal and spider may be enclosed within the case for shipping, storage or the like.

Having thus briefly described the invention and its objects, reference is now made to the accompanying drawing illustrating a preferred embodiment of the improved portable desk, in which:

FIG. l is a rear elevation of a portable desk embodying the invention, with parts broken away yfor the purpose of illustration;

FIG. 2 is a side elevation of the desk shown in FIG. 1;

FIG. 3 is a top plan view of the desk, with a portion of th'e hinged top or writing table broken away;

FIG. 4 is a fragmentary section on the line 4-4, FIG. 1;

FIG. 5 is an enlarged fragmentary section on the line 5 5, FIG. 4; and

FIG. 6 is a top plan View of the case, with the top broken away, showing the desk in knocked-down condition with the base, pedestal and spider located within the case for shipping or storage.

Referring now more particularly to the embodiment of the invention illustrated, in which similar numerals refer to similar parts, the improved portable desk is composed of four principal members, namely the base 1, the pedestal 2, the attaching spider 3` and the case 4.

The base 1 is preferably in the form of a casting of iron or other suitable metal to give it suiicient weight. In actual practice, the desks as now being made and sold are provided with cast iron bases weighing about 37 pounds. These bases are 17 inches in diameter, and are about 41/2 inches high.

The base 1 has a flat bottom and the top is rounded or tapered from the center toward the periphery, so that the 3 periphery is substantially sharp, or at least quite narrow, as shown in FIGS. l and 2. This base is circular and has the central, upwardly disposed, hollow boss 5, having the tapped aperture 6 therein to receive the set screw 7.

The pedestal 2 is a metal tube, preferably a length of pipe. As now being made and sold, the desks are provided with pedestals comprising about 30-inch lengths of 1 inch pipe. One inch being the inside diameter of the pipe, the outside diameter is of course about 1% inches.

The spider 3 is also in the form of an iron casting, in the shape of a lazy X, comprising the two crossed arms 8 and 9, each about 14 inches from end to end. At the center where the arms cross, the spider is slightly enlarged as at 10, and provided with the tapped opening 11.

For the purpose of journalling or swivelling the spider 3 upon the upper end of the pedestal 2, a journal pin 12 is threaded into the tapped opening 11, and depends from the spider, as best shown in FIG. 5, As shown in this figure, the upper end of the journal pin 12 is threaded as indicated at 13.

In order to strengthen the joint between the journal pin 12 and the spider 3, the upper portion of the tapped opening 11 is flared as at 14 and weld metal 15 is used to weld the pin to the spider. The spider may be connected to the case 4 in the manner hereinafter described in detail.

The case 4 is made of sheet metal, preferably from 16 gauge sheet steel, and comprises the flat, rectangular bottom wall 16, the front wall 17, the relatively low rear wall 18, and the end walls 19. The upper edges of the end walls 19 are downwardly and rearwardly inclined, as best seen in FIG. 2. The lower portion of the case 4 is divided into three substantially shallow compartments 20, by means of the partitions 21, preferably in the form of angle irons, welded to the bottom wall of the case.

Also, there are four properly spaced apertures 22 in the bottom wall 16 of the case, and similar apertures (not shown) in opposite ends of the legs 8 and 9 of the spider 3, to receive bolts 23 upon which nuts 24 are located for attaching the spider 3 to the case 4.

The top or writing table 25 is also formed of sheet metal, with depending flanges 26 upon its rear and end edges, overlapping the rear wall 18 and end walls 19 of the case. This top is hingedly connected, at its forward edge, to the top edge of the front wall 17 of the case, as by a piano hinge 27.

The portable desk thus constructed may be easily and readily moved from place to place by grasping the case 4 in the hands and tilting the entire desk from the vertical so that it rests upon the sharp or narrow periphery of the base 1, whereby it may be easily moved, rolling the base upon its -periphery along the floor, the tubular pedestal 2 rotating about the journal pin 12.

The parts are so proportioned that the desk may be knocked down or disassembled and the base 1, pedestal 2 and spider 3 placed within the case 4, as best shown in FIG. 6, so that the entire structure may be shipped or stored in knocked-down condition.

For this purpose, the pedestal 2 may be about 30 inches in length, the case 4 may be about 30 inches in length and 24 inches in width, the base 1 about 17 inches in diameter and 41/2 inches high, and the legs 8 and 9 of the spider 3 may each be 14 inches in length, the overall length of the journal pin 12 being not to exceed 51/2 inches.

This -portable desk has many uses, such as a checking desk for truck docks; an inventory desk which can be moved as the job progresses; an inbound checking table at any receiving entrance; an outbound checking table at any shipping floor; a desk for foremen on construction sites to hold blueprints and the like; a desk for ticket sales at fairs or sales oors; service managers desk at service entrances; on quarter decks on ships and at Navy bases, and a podium or lectern for speakers platforms and the like.

In fact, the desk may be placed anywhere in any job or the like where a desk is required, and can be readily moved to any location with ease, and quickly and easily knocked down and all parts packed in the case for shipping, storage or the like.

In the foregoing description certain terms have been used for brevity, clearness and understanding, but no unnecessary limitations are to be implied therefrom beyond the requirements of the prior art, because such words are used for descriptive purposes herein and are intended to be broadly construed.

Moreover, the embodiments of the improved construction illustrated and described herein are by way of example, and the scope of the present invention is not limited to the exact details of construction.

Having now described the invention or discovery, the construction, the operation, and use of preferred embodiments thereof, and the advantageous new and useful results obtained thereby; the new and useful constructions, and reasonable mechanical equivalents thereof obvious to those skilled in the art, are set forth in the appended claims.

We claim:

1. A portable desk including a circular base, an upright tubular pedestal, means detachably connecting the lower end of the pedestal to the center of the base, a writing table, an attaching spider connected to the writing table, and a journal pin attached to the spider and journalled in the upper end of the tubular pedestal, whereby the desk may be moved from place to place by tilting it from vertical position and rolling the circular base upon the floor while holding the writing table against rotation.

2. A portable desk including a circular base, an upright tubular pedestal, means detachably connecting the lower end of the pedestal to the center of the base, a hollow case having a bottom wall, a relatively high front wall and relatively low rear wall and end walls with downwardly and rearwardly inclined upper edges, a downwardly and rearwardly inclined writing table hingedly connected to the top of the front wall and having depending tlanges overlapping the upper edges of the rear and end walls, angle irons upon the top of the bottom wall of the case dividing the interior thereof into shallow compartments, an attaching spider detachably connected to the central portion of the bottom of the bottom wall, a journal pin depending from the center of the attaching spider and journalled in the upper end of the tubular pedestal, whereby the desk may be moved from place to place by tilting it from vertical position and rolling the circular base upon the floor while holding the writing table against rotation, the parts being of such relative proportions that the base, pedestal and attaching spider may be all entirely enclosed within the case for shipping and storage.

3. A portable desk as defined in claim 2, in which the pedestal is a length of pipe with the interior of the upper end thereof reamed out to rotatably receive the journal pin, and in which the journal pin is a piece of pipe threaded into and welded to the attaching spider.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 268,799 12/1882 Johnston 312--254 X 2,568,534 9/1951 Baker 108-33 2,994,498 8/1961 Sager 248-44 3,073,660 1/1963 Schultz 10S- 150 X 3,144,941 8/ 1964 Niino 248-1l5 FOREIGN PATENTS 564,295 2/1958 Belgium. 1,106,683 7/1955 France. 1,377,441 9/1964 France.

JAMES T. MCCALL, Primary Examiner. 

